Wireless communication systems can include user devices, such as cellular communication devices, that can receive wireless access to communication services from various access nodes of a cellular communication network distributed over a geographic area. These user devices can also include wireless network transceivers for communicating over wireless local area networks (LANs), such as IEEE 802.11 compatible wireless LANs. The user devices can include various other transceivers and interfaces for communicating over different wired and wireless links.
Wireless networking devices, such as a wireless router devices, can provide wireless LANs to various user devices over a small area, such as a home or business location. The wireless networking devices can also provide access to other packet networks and wide area networks (WANs), such as the Internet, for the user devices that receive access over the wireless LAN. When user devices include transceivers for both wireless LANs and cellular communication networks, these user devices can selectively receive network access over either wireless LANs or cellular networks depending upon proximity to access nodes, signal quality, or other factors. When user devices receive network access over the wireless LAN to a WAN or the Internet, wireless networking devices typically route traffic and communications of the user devices to the WAN or Internet.
Overview
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for providing redirection control of communications over a wide area network for user devices over a wireless local area network are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a wireless network device is provided. The method includes receiving a connection request from a user device over the wireless local area network, and responsive to the connection request, identifying a traffic plan for the user device based at least on one or more policy factors associated with the user device. When the traffic plan indicates redirected access, then the method includes establishing a tunnel to a cellular communication network associated with the user device and routing the communications of the user device over the tunnel. When the traffic plan indicates local access, then the method includes routing the communications of the user device to the wide area network. In another example, a wireless network device is provided. The wireless network device includes a network interface configured to receive a connection request from a user device over the wireless local area network. The wireless network device also includes a processing system configured to process the connection request to identify at least one policy factor for the user device, and identify a traffic plan for the user device based at least on the at least one policy factor. When the traffic plan indicates redirected access, then the network interface is configured to establish a tunnel to a cellular communication network associated with the user device and route the communications of the user device over the tunnel. When the traffic plan indicates local access, then the network interface is configured to route the communications of the user device to the wide area network.